tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9131289420618991795.post2516751987500792359..comments2023-06-17T08:53:42.643-04:00Comments on ShysterBall: And That HappenedCraig Calcaterrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190345915954808542noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9131289420618991795.post-76386799791530085602008-06-02T17:05:00.000-04:002008-06-02T17:05:00.000-04:00APBA Guy: I know that's terrible for Oakland's bo...APBA Guy: I know that's terrible for Oakland's bottom line, but man, I love that kind of atmosphere. Crazy, I know, but I like mostly empty stadiums like I like mostly empty airplanes. I know it's not sustainable, but man, the room to spread out is nice.<BR/><BR/>BTW: thanks for the A's update you frequently provide. Being in Ohio, I tend to give the late games short shrift from time to time (hmmm, I wonder where the east coast bias comes from?), so if you ever see me totally whiff on these, feel free to shoot me a writeup of the A's game and I'll put in a post update or something.Craig Calcaterrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00190345915954808542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9131289420618991795.post-46500699301616074512008-06-02T16:52:00.000-04:002008-06-02T16:52:00.000-04:00APBA Guy-Texas pitching finally asserted itself as...APBA Guy-<BR/><BR/>Texas pitching finally asserted itself as the A's bats find horsehide in Sunday's game. <BR/><BR/>No amount of excitement about the A's potential young outfield of Buck, Gonzalez, and R Sweeney can overcome the reality that none of them looks to be half the player Josh Hamilton is. <BR/><BR/>At 26, it'll be hard for Texas to realize that they will have to rest him. The energy sapping heat in Texas takes a year to get used to, and as hard as Hamilton plays, he'll need the occassional day off, maybe more.<BR/><BR/>The A's caliber of ball is so good that they may finish above .500 despite their youth. But both Smith and Eveland had rough outings in Arlington, which happens to young starters, especially against good hitting teams like Texas. <BR/><BR/>Still, the reality is that the A's were 2-4 on this road trip, while the Angels were 4-2 over the same period. That 3.5 games gap in the standings will gradually expand as the summer wears on. I expect we'll be back to where we were in the late '90's at the beginning of the Giambi/Tejada era, when you could walk up to the Mausoleum and get 3rd row seats behind the dugout, and enjoy an afternoon with 14,000 of the most knowledgeable fans in baseball.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9131289420618991795.post-68324163777864015532008-06-02T14:06:00.000-04:002008-06-02T14:06:00.000-04:00The (Devil) Rays won 20 games in June, 2004? Cont...The (Devil) Rays won 20 games in June, 2004? Context rears its head once again. On May 31, 2004, Tampa Bay was sitting at 18-31. They then went 20-7 in June to pull one game over .500. How'd they finish? <BR/><BR/>70-91Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9131289420618991795.post-49490449618600891752008-06-02T12:05:00.000-04:002008-06-02T12:05:00.000-04:00For the "God I Love Baseball" ongoing series...Fri...For the "God I Love Baseball" ongoing series...<BR/><BR/>Friday nights Sox/Orioles game, home plate umpire gives the full, dramatic strike three call against Coco Crisp. The only problem is that it is only strike 2, leaving the umpire with a little egg on his face. Coco almost gets run when he tells the umpire... "and it still wasn't a strike". Commentators Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer reference the classic Enrico Palazzo umpiring scene in "The Naked Gun" to describe the call the ump made. God I love baseball.Cookerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01604016466704155477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9131289420618991795.post-19826724862235604292008-06-02T08:20:00.000-04:002008-06-02T08:20:00.000-04:00A Nick Esasky and a Ray Oyler reference in one pos...A Nick Esasky and a Ray Oyler reference in one posting. You've outdone yourself today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com